2. One of the longest chapters in the Bible One of the pivotal chapters in the Bible – Daniel 2 gives a pictorial panorama of prophecy from the time of Daniel to the Second Coming of Christ.

3. “This second chapter has well been called ‘The ABC of prophecy.’ I suppose it contains the most complete, and yet the most simple, prophetic picture that we have in all the word of God.”

4. “The second chapter introduces us to the first great prophetic unfolding. It may well be called one of the great pivotal chapters of the Bible” Arno C. Gaebelein

5. “What is true of the book in general is especially true of chapter 2. Nowhere else in Scripture, except in Daniel 7, is a more comprehensive picture given of world history as it stretched from the time of Daniel, 600 years before Christ, to the consummation at the second advent of Christ.”

6. I. The Personal History of Daniel (1) II. The Prophetic History of the Times of the Gentiles (2-7) III. The Prophetic History of Israel During the Times of the Gentiles (8-12)

7. Daniel 2 I. The Dream Received (2:1-4) II. The Dream Revealed (5-30) III. The Dream Related (31-45) IV. The Dream Rewarded (46-49)

8. Daniel – God is Judge 1:17b “Daniel even understood all kinds of visions and dreams.”

9. Daniel 2:1-30 The God of Dreams and Destinies Dream On A Dream that Came True Dreamworks

10. Daniel 2:1-30 I. Sleepless in Babylon (2:1-4) II. Clueless in Babylon (2:5-11) III. Helpless in Babylon (2:12-18) IV. Selfless in Babylon (2:19-30)

11. I. Sleepless in Babylon (2:1-4) Nebuchadnezzar is the most mentioned Gentile ruler in the Bible.

12. Nebuchadnezzar was a young king in the 3rd year of his reign. He had seen the mighty Assyrian empire fall in 612 B.C. with the destruction of Nineveh. He had engaged in several military expeditions in 604-602 B.C. Egypt was still a major contender. One night in late 603-early 602 B.C., Nebuchadnezzar was lying in bed thinking about his future and the future of his empire.

13. Shakespeare: “Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown.”

14. Plural “dreamed dreams”

15. Daniel 2 King Nebuchadnezzar’s Nightmare

16. The TIME of the Dream “Now in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar” (March 603-April 602 B.C.) Did the events in Daniel 2 occur during Daniel’s 3 years training period or after it was completed? AFTER – 1) appears chronologically after chapter one, 2) accession year not counted DURING – 1)The training time was 3 full years; 2) Daniel was not summoned when the regular wise men were (2:2).

17. “and his spirit was troubled and his sleep left him.”

18. cabinet meeting Nebuchadnezzar calls a cabinet meeting early the next morning. “Then the king gave orders to call the magicians, the conjurers, the sorcerers and the Chaldeans, to tell the king his dreams. So they came in and stood before the king” (2:2). The Babylonian Braintrust

19. Magicians Magicians— “those who use the stylus” (sacred writers) Conjurers / Enchanters Conjurers / Enchanters — those who communicate with the dead Sorcerers— those who practice incantations or sorcery Chaldeans / Astrologers Chaldeans / Astrologers— a class of priests or wise men who were experts in astrology

20. II. Clueless in Babylon (5-11)

21. Nebuchadnezzar’s Demand 2:3 “And the king said to them, ‘I had a dream (singular), and my spirit is anxious to understand the dream (singular)” His focus is on knowing the meaning of one specific dream.

22. 2:5-11 Nebuchadnezzar issues his edict and the wise men give their excuses. Nebuchadnezzar and the wise men alternate and each speak three times becoming more anxious each time. 2:4a “Then the Chaldeans spoke to the king in Aramaic...”

23. Daniel Hebrew Aramaic Hebrew Personal History of Daniel 1:1 2:4a Prophetic History of Gentiles 2:4b 7:28 Prophetic History of Israel 8:1 12:13

24. 2:4b “O king, live forever! Tell the dream to your servants, and we will declare the interpretation.”

25. Did Nebuchadnezzar Forget the Dream? View 1 – He did forget it (John MacArthur, David Jeremiah, James Boice) Proof: “The thing is gone from me” (2:5, 8 KJV) Better translation: “The command from me is firm (sure)”

26. View 2 – He remembered the dream. He used this approach to test his counselors to determine if they were authentic (Warren Wiersbe, Leon Wood). Proof: “... therefore tell me the dream, that I may know that you can declare to me its interpretation” (2:9b).

27. The Dunghill Decree 2:5 “The king answered and said to the Chaldeans, ‘the command from me is firm; if you do not make known to me the dream and its interpretation, you will be torn limb from limb (made into limbs), and your houses will be made a rubbish heap’”.

28. The Great Reward 2:6 “But if you declare the dream and its interpretation, you will receive from me gifts and a reward and great honor; therefore declare to me the dream and its interpretation.”

29. “Give us the Dream!”

30. Nebuchadnezzar: “Quit stalling!” (2:8-9)

31. The 3 rd Response of the Wise Men 3 Arguments 1. Argument from Common Experience “There is not a man on earth who could declare the matter for the king” (2:10a) 2. Argument from Precedent “No great king or ruler has ever asked anything like this of any magician, conjurer or Chaldean” (2:10b).

32. 3. Argument from Impossibility “Moreover the thing which the king demands is difficult, and there is no one else who could declare it to the king except gods, whose dwelling place is not with mortal flesh” (2:11). They confess the emptiness of their own religion. This was true until the coming of Christ in human flesh—God with us (Matt 2:7; Lk 2:7). Ironically, wise men from the east were some of the first ones to witness God dwelling with and in mortal flesh.

34. The Final Decree of Nebuchadnezzar 2:12-13 “Because of this the king became indignant and very furious, and gave orders to destroy all the wise men of Babylon. So the decree went forth that the wise men should be slain; and they looked for Daniel and his friends to kill them.”

35. III. Helpless in Babylon (12-18)

36. 2:14 “Then Daniel replied with discretion and discernment to Arioch, the captain of the king’s bodyguard, who had gone forth to slay the wise men of Babylon; he answered and said to Arioch; the king’s commander, ‘For what reason is the decree from the king so urgent?’ Then Arioch informed Daniel about the matter.” The Discernment of Daniel

37. Daniel faces a test or crisis in almost every chapter. The test concerning the food in chapter one had prepared Daniel for this greater trial. Lesson : God uses trials and tests in our lives to strengthen us for greater ones.

38. The King and I Daniel in the Oval Office 2:16 “So Daniel went in and requested of the king that he would give him time, in order that he might declare the interpretation to the king.”

39. 3 Significant Points 1. Daniel talks directly to the king. 2. Daniel asks for time (stay of execution). 3. Daniel has not received the revelation yet.

40. The Prayer of Daniel 2:17-18 “Then Daniel went to his house and informed his friends, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, about the matter, in order that they might request compassion from the God of heaven concerning the mystery (raz), so that Daniel and friends might not be destroyed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.”

41. Wise MenDaniel PanicPrayer DismayDiscernment Confess InabilityConfidence ConfusionComposure

42. IV. Selfless in Babylon (19-30) “Then the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a night vision.” raz “mystery” or “secret” is used 8 times in Daniel 2.

43. The Doxology of Daniel Daniel Honors God First (19b-23) God is Ruler (2:20-21) God is Revealer (2:22-23) “And call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will rescue you, and you will honor Me” (Psalm 50:15).

44. Daniel’s Psalm “wisdom and might are His” “He changes the times and the seasons” “He removes kings and sets up kings” “He gives wisdom unto the wise” “He reveals the deep and secret things” “He knows what’s in the darkness” “Light dwells with Him”

45. Daniel Humbles Himself (24-30) Daniel contrasted with Arioch: 2:25 “Then Arioch hurriedly brought Daniel into the king’s presence and spoke to him as follows: ‘I have found a man among the exiles from Judah who can make the interpretation known to the king!’” *He didn’t find Daniel; Daniel found him.

46. Nebuchadnezzar’s Big Question 2:26b “Are you able to make known to me the dream which I have seen and its interpretation?”

47. Daniel gives God first place (the one who gave the revelation) Nebuchadnezzar second place (he was central in God’s plan) Himself third place (merely the channel or vehicle for the revelation)

48. 2:30 “But as for me, this mystery has not been revealed to me for any wisdom residing in me more than in any other living man, but for the purpose of making the interpretation known to the king, and that you may understand the thoughts of your mind.”

49. Daniel Prepares Nebuchadnezzar for the Revelation of the Dream and Its Interpretation Its Origin (27-28) “... Neither wise men, conjurers, magicians, nor diviners are able to declare it to the king. However, there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries.”

50. Its Subject Matter (2:28b-29) “and He has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will take place in the latter days. This was your dream and the visions in your mind while on your bed. As for you, O king, while on your bed your thoughts turned to what would take place in the future; and He who reveals mysteries has made known to you what will take place.”

51. V. 28 “latter days” (14x in the OT) It always has in view the ultimate establishment of Messiah’s kingdom on earth. It often includes more than that but always has this element of consummation. Here it goes all the way from Daniel’s day to the 2 nd coming of Christ and the millennial kingdom.

52. Nebuchadnezzar is sitting on the edge of his throne—ready to receive the revelation.